Visitors' trip down memory lane (+video)

The Village Green was roaring with engines of all shapes and sizes while Rotorua Vintage and Veteran Car Club members held their fourth Annual Rotorua Lakefront Car Show.

Chairman David Tomlinson said the atmosphere yesterday had been lovely and warm and very laid back and they had received nothing but positive feedback.

"It was a slow start but we have had, probably, the 200 plus cars we were hoping for. We have had car clubs from Hamilton and Tauranga."

He said St John Ambulance brought along two veteran ambulances and they had a big selection of cars.

"We've got big noisy V8s, we've got English cars, we've got pre-World War II cars, we've got European cars, Alfa Romeos, Fiat, Astons, Volkswagens ... a very good cross section of cars."

Mr Tomlinson said the most unusual car he had seen was a little red 1950s Fiat.

"That's probably my favourite, only from the point of view that I have never seen one before and I'll probably never see one again. There would be very few of them in New Zealand and in fact that might be the only one."

He said Triumphs were the most popular car there, the average vintage of the cars there were 1980s, the oldest car present was a 99-year-old Ford Model T and one other standout was a Lilly Putt caravan that had travelled up from Palmerston North.

"This show is a special interest show, it's not a classic car show, it's more about seeing things that you don't see everyday."

John Simpson from Cambridge has been the owner of the 99-year-old Ford Model T for 63-years.

"It was a gimmick in a car sale in Hamilton in Garden Place when I brought it. It was just a heap of rubbish ... I paid 4 pounds 10 for it.

"We had to tow it home from Hamilton and it rolled over halfway home to Cambridge and we left it on the side of the road for two weeks.

"Eventually got the thing home, I worked on it off and on over a 10-year period. It's only been on the road for the last nine or 10 years."

He said he had been offered good money for it but was a bit reluctant to sell because it was his first car, he was still at high school when he brought it.

Drivers were asked for a gold coin upon arrival and all they money was donated to St John Ambulance Rotorua.